FAIRFIELD, N.J., Nov. 11, 2005—Today’s brewers who take a chance on good nutrition may be tomorrow’s successful businesspeople. You can help today’s on-the-go consumers who may not be ingesting enough vegetables by adding lycopene to your beer recipe. Lycopene, an antioxidant, may help prevent some forms of cancer, heart disease and other diseases, according to some research results.
Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely related with the incidence of certain types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been inversely associated with the risk of digestive tract cancer in Italians. This open-chain unsaturated carotenoid neutralizes free radicals, which may damage the body’s cells.
“The data suggests 3 to 5 milligrams of lycopene per serving or bottle/can,” says Gil Bakal, managing director of A&B Ingredients. Customers may obtain lycopene as an oleoresin or powder. “The lycopene will add a reddish color to the beer and this will help a brewer to differentiate the product in a market with so many look-alike products,” added Bakal. The general effect of red is stimulating and appetizing, according to the Pigments through the Ages Web site. Mere perception of red color enhances the human metabolism by 13.4 % (source: Theroux 1998).
In the South, there’s a long history of red beer mixed by blending tomato juice, spices and beer. A brewer who combines lycopene and beer can make a similar healthy and refreshing beverage more convenient and available to consumers across the country.
Founded in 1990, A&B Ingredients is a leading supplier of rice based food starches for the food industry. The company also distributes lycopene and tropical flavors. Based on a tradition of research and development, A&B’s focus is to discover unique ingredients that enable its customers to create value added products. The company is committed to working, as a partner, to develop prototypes of new and improved food products. A&B maintains full applications labs, pilot plant facilities with consumer testing capabilities, and provides technical sales and marketing, importing, distribution and applications development/technical services.
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For more information about lycopene, contact A&B Ingredients at 973-227-1390 or visit A&B’s website at www.abingredients.com.
